Dillon Virva holds the second-fastest time in the nation in the 50 free.

Nov. 26, 2013

LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) - Dillon Virva became the second UNLV swimmer to earn weekly honors this season, as he was named the Western Athletic Conference Men's Swimmer of the Week, the league office announced on Tuesday. It's the first honor of his career, while Giacomo Gremizzi was also honored earlier this season, on Oct. 29.

The Rebels also made a move up in the Endless Pools/CollegeSwimming.com Top 25, coming in at No. 14 in the latest set of rankings that was released on Tuesday morning. It's UNLV's highest ranking of the season, while the Rebels are also listed as the No. 1 Mid-Major Program in the nation by CollegeSwimming.com.

A sophomore from Nevada City, Calif., Virva turned in three of the top 50 free times in the nation on the first day of the UNLV Fall Invitational on Nov. 21. He posted three total swims under 19.6, including a 19.43 in the preliminaries and a 19.37 in the finals to easily win the race by .35 seconds. It set both new UNLV and WAC records, and is the second-fastest time in the nation this year, just .05 seconds off the NCAA "A" automatic qualifying time. His third-place time of 47.98 in the 100 fly is also the fastest time in the WAC this season and a NCAA 'B' cut as well. Virva also swam on several first place relays at the UNLV Fall Invitational, helping the 200 free relay to the fifth fastest time in the nation, while he swam legs on the 200 medley relay, seventh fastest in then nation with a 'B' time of 1:26.50, and on the 400 free relay, eighth fastest with a 'B' cut of 2:55.06.

The Rebels' next competition will be on Jan. 11, 2014, with a road dual meet at UC Santa Barbara.